The Cleaner of Nepal - Laxman Singh Khadka

The Cleaner of Nepal

SHIKHAR BHATTARAI

Laxman Singh Khadka styles himself as the Cleaner of Nepal, though many know of him as the Human Banner. “People often think I am a madman,” explains Khadka, who calls himself a social worker. He is to be seen cleaning roads, painting statues of former kings, and giving roadside speeches on the present political situation of the country. He writes political, religious and social slogans on his trademark white kurta, and no national day or major event in Kathmandu would be complete without one of his banners.

It all started for this former truck driver about 18 years ago on the streets of Kathmandu. Being a native of the capital, he has seen the city “develop” right before his eyes. He doesn’t hesitate to share his nostalgia for the glory days of the city. “Kathmandu looked a lot better back then,” he says.

Everyone sees him on the roads but no one knows where and how he really lives. The private life of this father of four is not what many might imagine it to be. This is my attempt to go beyond Laxman Singh Khadka’s life on the streets, into his personal space.

At 63, Laxman Singh Khadka lives a life quite different from what many people would think of living. Although he has a home in Kalanki, he has been living alone in a small hotel room in Sundhara for the last five years.

“My family did not approve of my way of life so I decided to live alone. I don’t blame them for thinking that way, but this is the life that I have chosen for myself.”

Laxman Singh Khadka breaks into an impromptu speech in the middle of directing traffic in front of the Constituent
Assembly in New Baneshwor, as onlookers read the text on his kurta. It is the streets where he has found a place to socialize, share his thoughts, and raise his voice.

Combing his hair, taking a bath, and worshipping the gods are part of a two-hour daily routine before he heads to the streets. He first visits the Martyr’s Gate, then the temple of Bhadrakali, where he feeds the pigeons. He claims to feed the pigeons almost 7 kilos of rice every day.

The white kurta is his trademark, his public face. He says he has 300 such kurtas made for different national and international events. He writes the slogans on a small piece of paper and takes them to a painter to have them transferred to cloth.

Living in a small hotel room doesn’t give him much space. All his belongings are scattered on the other bed in the room.

Once he is out onto the streets, he returns home only by 8 at night. By the time he prepares his dal bhat, washes the dishes, and goes to bed, its already 11. He dreams of becoming a prime minister someday.

The story was part of a 14 week Masterclass with Mads Nissen organized by photo circle in cooperation with Danish School of Media and Journalism (DSMJ). The photos produced during the masterclass by 12 Nepali Photographers also turned into an exhibition and a book titled "The Constant Change".

The book is available at all major bookshops in Kathmandu and online at www.muncha.com/change